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The popular Himitsu restaurant often sees long wait times, something the new patio will help change for the better.

The Japanese-inspired restaurant Himitsu opened up at 828 Upshur Street NW in late Fall 2016, and has been a successful and critically acclaimed addition to Petworth. So much so that getting a table can be hard since they don’t take reservations. A new patio out front helps that, bringing wait times down from a high of three hours to only 45 minutes.

“We only have 24 seats inside,” said Carlie Steiner, co-owner of Himitsu. “We can’t take reservations as we need to have the tables available as soon as customers get up — that’s how we make a small restaurant work. Reservations would really slow things down and increase wait time. That’s why we’re excited about the 14 additional seats the patio offers.”

Full service is available on Himitsu’s patio, but if you’ve visited in the past and enjoyed the chicken and duck dishes, you may be out of luck — those are being replaced on the menu.

“We want to be able to change the menu to keep a strong consistency in the quality of the food,” said chef Kevin Tien. “We want to keep it fresh and be able to have fun with it. Sometimes that means favorites leave the menu for a while as we try out new things.”

Himitsu is open Tuesday through Saturday, closed on Sunday and Mondays. “If you come by between 5 and 6pm during the week, there’s usually no line,” Carlie said. “We see lines forming at 5pm on Friday and Saturdays. The patio means we’re able to seat people faster, which makes everyone happy.”

The patio, like the restaurant itself, is available to rent out for private parties and events (just email Carlie to reserve). They’re flexible on the food they serve for private events, dietary restrictions and customizing the menu.

“We recently had a private event with 27 people and seven different dietary restrictions,” Kevin said, laughing. “That meant seven different menus for a seven course menu.”

Check out the patio at Himitsu — and if there’s a wait for a table, luckily there’s plenty to do on Upshur Street to pass the time, from shopping at Fia’s, Willow or Bentley’s, or grabbing a drink at Hank’s, del Barrio or Petworth Citizen.

The Japanese-inspired restaurant Himitsu opened up at 828 Upshur Street NW in late Fall 2016, and has been a successful and critically acclaimed addition to Petworth. But getting a table can be hard since they don’t take reservations. A new patio out front helps that, bringing wait times down from a high of three hours to only 45 minutes.

Whether it’s fate, kismet or constant coincidence, Carlie Steiner and Kevin Tien spent more than a year bumping into each other working at Oyamel and other DC restaurants, one creating interesting cocktails and the other cooking up inspired cuisine. Now these two are close friends and the partners behind Himitsu, the new Japanese-inspired restaurant opening at 828 Upshur Street. They’re looking to mix their individual skills into a new take on food and drink.

Ever since Crane & Turtle closed earlier this year, people have wondered what will be the new restaurant to replace it on Upshur Street. Owner Paul Ruppert opened a short-term concept for Chesapeake seafood called Cappy's Crabs; the plan was for Cappy's to close by Labor Day and for a new idea to open in that space.

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About Petworth News

Petworth News is a blog about the Petworth area neighborhoods in Washington DC, written by Drew Schneider and other contributing writers. It features facts and objective reporting, as well as an occasional subjective point of view and opinion. Learn more and contact Drew.